AbstoneLalley, Inc. Joins Minority Corporate Counsel Association To Help Advance Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession

CHICAGO – March 11, 2015 – AbstoneLalley, Inc., a minority-owned and managed legal and corporate consulting firm with offices in Chicago, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, announced today that its legal department has been accepted as an in-house member of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). This membership demonstrates AbstoneLalley’s commitment to diversity and broadens its resources to advance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Diversity is fundamental to the mission of AbstoneLalley. AbstoneLalley prides itself on creating and maintaining an inclusive work environment. The company’s reputation for excellence stems, in part, from its particular expertise in assisting legal and corporate clients with diversity recruitment and retention. AbstoneLalley’s Chief Executive Officer, Rodney L. Abstone II, has advised some of the world’s largest law firms on developing diversity recruiting and retention plans.

“Although the legal profession has made measurable strides in diversity recruitment over the past decade, much improvement is still needed to accomplish inclusive retention,” said Rodney L. Abstone II, Chief Executive Officer of AbstoneLalley, Inc. “AbstoneLalley is passionate about representing law firms and corporate legal departments that demonstrate a sincere commitment to inclusive recruiting and, more importantly, retaining high caliber diversity attorneys at the associate and partner levels. To that end, we are honored to be an in-house member of the MCCA and to contribute to our shared endeavor of furthering diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.”

According to the latest law firm demographic findings from National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP), women and minority associates’ ranks continued to grow in 2014, having previously declined in 2010. However, the representation of African-American associates at large law firms has declined every year since 2010, even though they represent an increasing percentage of law school graduates. The same data shows that minority and women partners continued to make small gains in their representation among law firm partners as a whole in 2014. These findings suggest that continued advancement is vitally necessary.

Since its founding in 1997, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association has advocated for the expanded hiring, promotion, and retention of minority attorneys in corporate legal departments and the law firms that they retain. The MCCA’s programs and initiatives focus on diversity management issues with an emphasis on the professional challenges faced by racial/ethnic minorities; women; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals; persons with disabilities; and multi-generational workforces. The training programs help law firms learn how to define, create, and sustain a diverse and inclusive workplace.

For more information about AbstoneLalley’s diversity recruitment and retention services, please visit the company’s website at AbstoneLalley.com.